rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryhenFemale bird
noun

hen

HEN/hen/

A mature female bird, especially a chicken.

The hen stands beside a shallow straw nest containing eggs.

A single adult hen standing beside a shallow straw nest containing eggs, with a rounded body, modest comb and wattles, and short tail feathers clearly distinguishing her from a rooster.
Etymology
henOld Englishfemale domestic fowl

Old English henn already meant the female domestic fowl. Historically, it is a feminine formation paired with the word for a cock, preserving the female–male distinction in the modern meaning.

In context

Timeline - World History Documentaries55:18
it was mothering his men, [music] um, suddenly turning round and comforting somebody or preparing food for him and acting basically like a hen with one chicken.
The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition

More examples

  • Our hens lay eggs almost every morning.
  • The turkey hen leads her young through the grass.
  • We keep six hens and one rooster.

Forms

hen · hens

Similar words

chicken
Names the domestic bird regardless of its sex or age.
pullet
Specifically a young female chicken, rather than a mature one.